xerostomia – Page 5 – Oral Cancer News

Time-released muco-adhesive patch more effective than oral rinse for xerostomia

Source: www.news-medical.net/news Author: press release A newly developed time-released muco-adhesive patch for treating oral health conditions, including the widespread condition of dry mouth (xerostomia), has been shown to be more effective than a leading oral rinse, according to a newly-published study. As increasing segments of the population consume more medications (one of the leading causes of dry mouth), the results of this study could potentially help provide relief for millions of Americans. Chronic dry mouth impacts the quality of life and for some, can be debilitating. Published in the March 2010 issue of Quintessence International, the study found that chronic dry mouth sufferers can now get a statistically significant reduction of mouth dryness from a new time-released muco-adhesive patch (OraMoist Dry Mouth Patch), compared with the leading oral rinse which has been on the market for nearly two decades. Overall, patients with xerostomia treated with the muco-adhesive patch reported a statistically significant reduction in mouth dryness sensation with elevated salivary flow rate (150%) after just 30 minutes, which was considered clinically outstanding by the study authors, since the product does not contain any cholinergic agonist, a drug often used to treat dry mouth. OraMoist, a new time-released, non-drug formula, not only outperformed the mouthwash, one of the most often used delivery formats for treating dry mouth, but unlike dry mouth sprays, rinses or gels, which need to be applied frequently – sometimes every 20 minutes – OraMoist works to increase moisture and help restore a healthy oral environment for hours [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2010-03-23T18:26:50-07:00March, 2010|Oral Cancer News|

Advances in radiation therapy enable doctors to improve the quality of treatments for patients with head and neck cancer

Source: www.prnewswire.com Author: press release Noted clinical experts detail recent developments at the annual ASTRO meeting in Chicago Clinical studies suggest that advanced treatments like intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) and image-guided radiotherapy (IGRT) are enabling radiation oncologists to enhance post-treatment health-related quality of life for patients with head and neck cancer. In an educational session for radiotherapy professionals, delivered by two noted experts during the annual meeting of the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) in Chicago last week, Avraham Eisbruch, M.D., professor at the University of Michigan, discussed how careful implementation of IMRT in the treatment of head and neck cancer can achieve high tumor control rates while minimizing xerostomia, a dry mouth condition that occurs when salivary glands are damaged. Citing a new report summarizing results from RTOG 0022, a multi-institutional study comparing IMRT with earlier forms of treatment for head and neck cancer, Dr. Eisbruch said that IMRT for head and neck cancer achieved important goals in reducing treatment toxicity, notably xerostomia, and in yielding a high tumor control rate of 90%.(1) For patients enrolled in the study and treated with IMRT, only 55% experienced Grade 2 or worse xerostomia at six months after treatment, as compared with 84% of patients treated with earlier forms of radiotherapy -- a reduction of 35%. For the IMRT group, the percentage of patients with Grade 2 or worse xerostomia decreased steadily, to 25% at 12 months and 16% at 24 months. "This kind of improvement over time is not something we [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2009-11-13T13:30:22-07:00November, 2009|Oral Cancer News|

Intensity-modulated radiation offers treatment advantages over conventional therapy for head and neck cancer

Source: www.docguide.com Author: John Otrompke Patients treated with simultaneously integrated boost treatment using intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) experience better overall survival, disease-free survival, and local recurrence rates, as well as decreased dermatitis and better postoperative salivary function that those treated with conventional radiation. "IMRT treatment was described as 'boosted' because we use 2 different doses in the same patient, who gets a dose of 2.12 gy to 1 part of their anatomy, while another part gets 1.8 gy," said Sebastien Clavel, MD, University of Montreal, Montreal, Quebec, on November 3 at the American Society of Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology (ASTRO) 51st Annual Meeting. In the study, 249 patients with stage III and IV oropharyngeal carcinoma were treated between 2000 and 2007. Of these, 100 received IMRT, while 149 patients received conventional radiation therapy. After a 33-month median follow-up, 95.4% of those treated with IMRT were still alive, compared with 75.8% of those in the conventional arm. Disease-free survival was 89.3% for the IMRT group, compared with 71.6% in the conventional radiation arm. In addition, local control was 92.4% in the IMRT patients, compared with 85.3% in the conventional group. "With the old technique, the rays were shooting from both sides, whereas with IMRT, the rays come from all directions," said Dr. Clavel. "When using IMRT, we also always give them a 3-mm margin with the skin, both of which result in fewer cases of dermatitis." IMRT patients experienced a 20% decrease in dermatitis grades 3 and 4. "If we are [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2009-11-11T08:45:27-07:00November, 2009|Oral Cancer News|

Cepharanthin effect on radiation-induced xerostomia and taste disorder in patients with head and neck cancer

Source: Nippon Jibiinkoka Gakkai Kaiho, September 1, 2009; 112(9): 648-55 Author: R Shimazu et al. In evaluating the effect of cepharanthin on and taste disorder in 40 patients undergoing radiotherapy for head and neck cancer, we administered cepharanthin intravenously during chemoradiotherapy to 22 patients, with 18 others as a control group. Cepharanthin did not significantly affect salivary secretion during and after chemoradiotherapy, although taste disorder and oral discomfort were alleviated. Cepharanthin may thus be effective in maintaining the quality of life of patients with head and neck cancer. Authors: R Shimazu, G Tanaka, R Tomiyama, Y Kuratomi, and A Inokuchi Authors' affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Saga University, Saga

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2009-11-05T07:32:56-07:00November, 2009|Oral Cancer News|

Group acupuncture to relieve radiation induced xerostomia: a feasibility study

Source: Acupuncture in Medicine 2009;27:109-113 Author: Richard Simcock et al. Background: A distressing complication of radiotherapy treatment for head and neck cancer is xerostomia (chronic oral dryness). Xerostomia is difficult to treat conventionally but there are reports that acupuncture can help. We conducted a feasibility study to examine the acceptability of a standardised group acupuncture technique and adherence to group sessions, together with acceptability of the objective and subjective measurements of xerostomia. Methods: 12 males with established radiation induced xerostomia were treated in three groups of four. Each received eight weekly sessions of acupuncture using four bilateral acupuncture points (Salivary Gland 2; Modified Point Zero; Shen Men and one point in the distal radial aspect of each index finger (LI1)). Sialometry and quality of life assessments were performed at baseline and at the end of treatment. A semi-structured interview was conducted a week after completing the intervention. Results: Adherence to and acceptability of the treatment and assessments was 100%. There were objective increases in the amounts of saliva produced for 6/12 patients post intervention and the majority also reported subjective improvements. Mean quality of life scores for domains related to salivation and xerostomia also showed improvement. At baseline 92% (11/12) patients reported experiencing a dry mouth "quite a bit/very much" as compared to 42% (5/12) after the treatment. Qualitative data revealed that the patients enjoyed the sessions. Conclusion: The pilot study shows that a standardised group technique is deliverable and effective. The tools for objective and subjective assessment are appropriate [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2009-09-06T15:57:33-07:00September, 2009|Oral Cancer News|

Ipsilateral irradiation for well lateralized carcinomas of the oral cavity and oropharynx: results on tumor control and xerostomia

Source: Radiation Oncology 2009, 4:33 Authors: Laura Cerezo et al. In head and neck cancer, bilateral neck irradiation is the standard approach for many tumor locations and stages. Increasing knowledge on the pattern of nodal invasion leads to more precise targeting and normal tissue sparing. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the morbidity and tumor control for patients with well lateralized squamous cell carcinomas of the oral cavity and oropharynx treated with ipsilateral radiotherapy. Methods: Twenty consecutive patients with lateralized carcinomas of the oral cavity and oropharynx were treated with a prospective management approach using ipsilateral irradiation between 2000 and 2007. This included 8 radical oropharyngeal and 12 postoperative oral cavity carcinomas, with Stage T1-T2, N0-N2b disease. The actuarial freedom from contralateral nodal recurrence was determined. Late xerostomia was evaluated using the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer QLQ-H&N35 questionnaire and the National Cancer Institute Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (CTCAE), version 3. Results: At a median follow-up of 58 months, five-year overall survival and loco-regional control rates were 82.5% and 100%, respectively. No local or contralateral nodal recurrences were observed. Mean dose to the contralateral parotid gland was 4.72 Gy and to the contralateral submandibular gland was 15.30 Gy. Mean score for dry mouth was 28.1 on the 0-100 QLQ-H&N35 scale. According to CTCAE v3 scale, 87.5% of patients had grade 0-1 and 12.5% grade 2 subjective xerostomia. The unstimulated salivary flow was >0.2 ml/min in 81.2% of patients and 0.1-0.2 ml/min in [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2009-09-01T20:59:48-07:00September, 2009|Oral Cancer News|

Taste and smell disorders caused by cancer or treatments add to patients’ problems

Source: www.oncologynursingnews.com Author: Delicia Yard Although the mechanisms underlying abnormalities in the senses of taste and smell in cancer patients are unknown, such disturbances clearly decrease quality of life for the majority of cancer patients—and clinicians need to be aware of the problem in order to help a person's recovery. This is the word from a study recently published in The Journal of Supportive Oncology (2009;7:58-65). Jae Hee Hong, PhD, Pinar Omur-Ozbek, PhD, Brian T. Stanek, and coinvestigators from Wake Forest University Comprehensive Cancer Center and Virginia Tech's food science and technology department and biomedical engineering school conclude, “Oncologists who understand the types and causes of taste and olfactory abnormalities may be better prepared to discuss and empathize with these negative side effects.” Altered sensory perception can undermine a person's struggle against cancer by causing malnutrition and anxiety. One study cited by Dr Hong and colleagues found that malnutrition, not malignancy, was the primary cause of morbidity in 20% of cancer patients. Dr Hong and colleagues explain that disorders of taste and odor can result from cancer itself or from cancer treatments, with 68% of chemotherapy patients reporting such problems. But the specific causes of these alterations often remain unidentified. How Senses Go Bad According to the researchers, problems with taste and smell break down into 3 categories: loss of sensitivity, distorted perception, and hallucination. The abnormalities may take the following forms: • absence of taste perception (ageusia) or odor perception (anosmia) • reduced sensitivity to taste perception (hypogeusia) or [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2009-08-19T12:07:17-07:00August, 2009|Oral Cancer News|

Intensity-modulated radiotherapy reduces xerostomia in head and neck cancer

Source: www.oncologystat.com Author: staff Intensity-modulated radiotherapy significantly reduces the risk of subjective xerostomia by about 50% in patients with pharyngeal tumors, according to the first results of the multicenter, phase III PARSPORT trial. Cancer Research UK's PARSPORT (Parotid-Sparing Intensity-Modulated Radiation Therapy Compared With Conventional Radiation Therapy in Treating Patients With Oropharyngeal or Hypopharyngeal Cancer Who Are at High Risk of Radiation-Induced Xerostomia) trial evenly randomized 94 patients with pharyngeal tumors to conventional radiotherapy (conventional radiotherapy ) or intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT). A three-dimensional technique, IMRT produces highly conformal dose distributions that can reduce the radiation dose to the salivary glands and normal tissue. At 12 months, the incidence of grade 2 or higher xerostomia was 74% in CRT patients vs. 39% in IMRT patients, based on the subjective portion of the LENT/SOM (Late Effects on Normal Tissue-Subjective/Objective Management) questionnaire (P = .004). The benefit of IMRT appeared to continue over time, with an 18-month xerostomia incidence of 71% with conventional therapy vs. 29% with IMRT (P = .003), principal investigator Dr. Christopher Nutting reported in a late-breaking abstract presentation at the annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology. A similar pattern was observed using the RTOG (Radiotherapy Oncology Group) scale. The incidence of at least grade 2 xerostomia was 64% with CRT vs. 41% with IMRT at 12 months (P = .05), and 81% vs. 20% at 18 months (P less than .001). This is the first randomized IMRT trial in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma, although phase [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2009-07-07T19:02:00-07:00July, 2009|Oral Cancer News|

Taste, odor intervention

Source: speech-language-pathology-audiology.advanceweb.com Author: staff Cancer and its therapies, including chemotherapy and radiotherapy, may directly alter and damage taste and odor perception, possibly leading to patient malnutrition, and in severe cases, significant morbidity, according to a Virginia Tech - Wake Forest University Comprehensive Cancer Center compilation of various existing studies [Journal of Supportive Oncology, 7(2): 58-65]. One of the purposes of the study, said Andrea Dietrich, PhD, professor of civil and environmental engineering (CEE) at Virginia Tech, is to provide researchers and physicians with a better understanding of the types and causes of taste and odor dysfunctions so that they can develop treatments for these conditions and improve the quality of life of their patients. According to Susan Duncan, PhD, RD, professor of food science and technology at Virginia Tech, a bad taste in the mouth can lead to poor nutrition because patients avoid eating. Approximately two thirds of cancer patients who receive chemotherapy report altered sensory perception, such as decreased or lost taste acuity or metallic taste. Altered sensory perception causes psychological anxiety and malnutrition, and thus negatively impacts the chances of survival for cancer patients, as reported in an earlier study conducted by Duke University. Dr. Dietrich, an expert on water quality and treatment, as well as the taste and odor assessment of water, has expanded upon her knowledge of this field to include such assessments in cancer patients. She worked with Jae Hee Hong, Dr. Duncan, and Brian T. Stanek of the Virginia Tech Food Science and Technology [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2009-07-03T05:07:36-07:00July, 2009|Oral Cancer News|

Acupuncture relieves radiation-induced xerostomia in head and neck cancer

Source: www.medscape.com Author: Roxanne Nelson Acupuncture can improve subjective symptoms of dry mouth in patients with radiation-induced xerostomia, according to the results of a pilot trial. When treated twice a week for 4 weeks with acupuncture, oncology patients who received radiation treatments to the head and neck area reported significant improvements in physical well being and quality of life. The results of the trial, published online April 17 in Head & Neck, showed that acupuncture relieved symptoms as early as 2 weeks after starting therapy, with the benefits lasting for at least 1 month after treatment ended. Although this was a pilot study, the results appear quite encouraging; little or no recovery is generally seen in these patients after they reach the damaging threshold of radiation. But all patients in this study had reached the damaging threshold, explained senior author William Chambers, DMD, MS, chief of the Section of Oncologic Dentistry and Prosthodontics at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston. "They all received over 50 Gy of definitive external-beam radiation therapy," he said. However, the data did not find a change in measured stimulated or unstimulated salivary flow, even though the patients reported symptom relief. "There was no statistically significant increase in saliva flow from baseline, but there was a positive trend, with a spike for unstimulated saliva [P = .08]," Dr. Chambers told Medscape Oncology. The researchers also note that basal and salivary flow rates vary significantly among individuals, and therefore, subjective perceptions and objective [...]

Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A2009-05-02T05:42:13-07:00May, 2009|Oral Cancer News|